Castle Bones
by Cassie Bones
Summary: Castle/Bones crossover. It needed to happen. I have no regrets. Read and Review! Rated T now but may become M
1. Chapter 1

**So, this morning I woke up with the idea to combine my two favorite shows into one crossover and while it is something I've been warring with (I never read nor write crossovers) I have decided to just go for it. I would appreciate it if any criticism in the reviews for this story be JUST about this story and not about the individual shows or me, personally. I have dealt with such reviews and am still dealing with them. I do not want to know about your opinion of me other than what pertains to my writing. If you think I am a bad writer, tell me exactly WHY you think so. Criticism of the piece is welcomed, but personal criticism is not. I ask that you please respect these wishes and enjoy the piece.**

Disclaimer: I own neither Bones nor Castle. I do, however, hope to work for one of the shows someday if they stay on the air long enough for me to graduate and apply.

Chapter One

Castle was getting restless. He'd been stuck at this table, signing copy after copy of his new release, _Deadly Heat__, _for well over two hours now with no relief, no chance to even get up and stretch his feet since both Gina and Paula were watching him with their hawk-like stares, making sure that he didn't skip out early, like he was prone to do. His only solace was that Beckett was also stuck there for the afternoon until he was finished. Currently, she was sitting in the only seating available, in Barnes and Noble's children's section, resting comfortably, yet awkwardly in one of the bigger chairs, surrounded by toddlers and young children who were all browsing the selection available. Castle smiled at her. She had curled herself in the plush green chair, her nose buried deep in his latest book.

At least she was comfortable.

Another ten minutes passed with Castle mindlessly signing each book presented to him and sketching a bunch of unoriginal messages to his fans. He hated doing that, but after a certain point, even _his _originality wore off. He denied requests to sign body parts (both male and female) and just focused on signing as quickly as possible so he and Kate could leave and perhaps make it to Remy's for a late lunch.

It was nearly two thirty and there were only about a dozen people left in line when Castle heard a familiar voice above him.

"Hello, Richard." Castle looked up at smiled brightly.

"_Temperance_!" he exclaimed, standing up to embrace his dear old friend over the table. Temperance Brennan, to his surprise, didn't just settle for her usual double-cheek kiss, but actually pulled him into her arms for a hug. _My_, how things have changed!

When they pulled back, Castle was beaming and he noticed how different she looked. He couldn't quite explain it, but Temperance looked…fuller, more complete than she had before.

And that's when he noticed the man standing next to her, holding a squirming toddler in his arms, trying to keep her still. Castle looked from him to Temperance and back, pointedly and Temperance's eyes widened.

"Oh! Yes! Right," she said, smiling up at the man and laying her hand on his shoulder. "Richard Castle, this is my partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth. Booth, this is Richard Castle, a good friend of mine."

The men shook hands. "Nice to meet you," Booth said, tucking the squirming toddler under one arm. The little girl pouted and Castle chuckled, giving her a little wave.

"And who's _this_ little cutie?" he asked, looking up at Brennan.

Brennan beamed, scooping up the little girl from beneath Booth's arms and positioning her on her hip. "_This_," she said, nuzzling the girl's ear with her nose, "is our daughter, Christine Angela Booth."

Castle's eyes widened. "Your _daughter_?" he asked, surprised. The Temperance he'd known had been completely _against_ having children, as she'd said many times when he'd brought it up in conversation. But now she had a child of her own.

_Well _that's _new_. Castle thought to himself. He smiled down at the little girl who was now squirming in Temperance's arms, putting out her own towards the children's section.

"Books!" she exclaimed, struggling against her mother.

Temperance just smiled and held her tighter. "Yes," she said, "I'd assumed you heard; Christine is nearly two years old now."

"Oh, well I haven't really been reading much more about you than your reviews and those news stories about all the cases you solve in D.C. Good work, by the way. I assume you're also her work partner?" Castle asked Booth.

Booth nodded. "Yep," he said, smiling at Brennan. "Going on nine years now." He slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a kiss, which Brennan gladly accepted. They were interrupted only by the little girl in Brennan's arm.

"Mama! Books!" Christine whined. Brennan pulled away from Booth and smiled down at her daughter.

"In a minute, Christine," she said, sternly. She turned back to Castle with an exasperated look. "She is just like her father, I swear." Castle chuckled. "So, I hear you've been doing work with the NYPD as research for your new novels."

Castle nodded. "Yep, and _my_ partner is right over there," he motioned towards the children's section, where Kate hadn't even moved an inch, except to turn the page. "You can go talk to her about it while I finish up. I think Paula and Gina might be plotting my murder as we speak."

He glanced over at the two women in question and they were both shooting daggers at him with their eyes. Brennan chuckled.

"That sounds good. This way Christine can get what she wants and I can find out what you've been up to these last few years." She lifted one brow, grinning. "But first," she pushed her copy of his book towards him, "I _would _like a signature."

Castle nodded, sitting back down. "Of course," he said, opening the book and writing her a personalized message and signing his name with a flourish, before handing the book back and allowing her to go make introductions to Beckett.

By the time he was done signing the remainder of the books, all in good spirit, he got up and practically jogged over to where Kate was still sitting in the easy chair, across from Temperance who had pulled a chair out of the café section to talk. Booth, meanwhile, was looking at books with Christine, who kept on pulling them off the shelf while her father picked them up after her and replaced them.

Castle walked in just as Brennan was in the middle of a story. "…and I told him how one would go about effectively making a push off a building look like a suicide."

"Whoa," Castle said, coming to lean on the arm of Beckett's chair, "what are we talking about here?"

Beckett grinned up at him. "Temperance was just telling me about how you two met."

Castle nodded. "Ah yes," he said, stroking his chin, "it was at the height of my career. I was a mere lad at the age of twenty-nine, with a know-it-all daughter, and a knack for procrastination. I had spent all my spare hours, when I wasn't cooking or cleaning or supervising play dates, researching this very topic…"

"Then your publicist gave you _my_ number, which you called _incessantly_ until I agreed to meet with you and go over the entire plot," Brennan said, rolling her eyes.

"Yep, that sounds like Castle," Kate said, earning her a light poke in the ribs that made her jump.

"And I thank you for that," Castle said to Brennan, "because without your help, that book never would have become the bestseller that it is. You were pretty smart for a recent graduate student."

"Oh, yes," Brennan said, nodding, "I _am _quite brilliant. My daughter is, too." She smiled over at where Christine had abandoned the books for a toy train in the middle of the section, leaving Booth to clean up her mess.

"She's absolutely precious," Kate said, smiling wistfully. She and Castle had finally let their relationship out on their one year anniversary—surprisingly Gates was okay with it and had claimed to know all along—and Kate had just recently moved into the loft with Castle and Martha. There had been no talk of marriage or babies yet but Kate knew she would like to have children someday. And she would like it if they were Castle's children, as well.

But she wasn't going to be the one to bring it up.

Brennan beamed. "Thank you. She is _quite _beautiful, isn't she?" She glanced over at Christine, who was making train noises as she ran it around the tracks.

"She is," Kate confirmed. She felt Castle's hand squeeze her shoulder and she looked up to find him smiling lovingly at him. Their 'I love you's were exchanged—his for the third time and hers for the first—on his birthday, the first one they spent together as a couple. It was part of his birthday gift. He leaned down and kissed her, softly, on the lips.

Brennan's eyes widened. "Oh!" she said, causing them both to detach their lips and look at her. "I'm sorry but I wasn't aware…I mean, I figured you two were just…I had no idea that you were romantically involved."

Castle chuckled. "Took me nearly five years and a couple dozen near-deaths but I finally got her to give in."

"Yeah, after you completely gave up hope and I nearly fell off a building," Kate pointed out.

"Hey! If I had _completely_ given up do you really think I would have let you stay that night and…did what we did?" He looked down at her pointedly and Kate rolled her eyes, even as she leaned into him, resting her cheek on his chest.

"Thanks for not giving up," she said, softly.

"Always," he whispered back, kissing her forehead.

Brennan smiled at the two. "You two are very romantic. If it's alright, how long have you two been together?"

Castle smiled. "It'll be two years this May. How about you and Mr. FBI over there? How long have you two been together?"

Brennan smiled over at Booth, who was making choo choo noises, making Christine giggle with his silliness.

"We've been together about three years. Like you, our anniversary is also in May."

"Oh, but…um, Christine…how old did you say she was?" Castle asked, getting an elbow in the ribs by Beckett."

"She will be two in January. January 26th, to be exact," Brennan answered with a smile. "And yes, before you ask, Richard, we conceived her at the same time as we got together. But she is not the only reason we are together. I genuinely love and adore Booth. I have for years. It just took some…extenuating circumstances for us to finally, as my friend Angela would say, 'get our heads out of our asses' and get together, already."

Kate chuckled. "She sounds like one of my friends, Lanie. She's our ME at the twelfth."

"Oh, really? That sounds very interesting. I would very much like to meet her."

"You would? Well then how about I invite her out with us for lunch. I haven't had anything to eat with Mr. Writer over here signing books. I'm _starving_!"

"While I am sure you must be famished not having had lunch yet, you are probably not starving, because you look pretty well-fed and," at Kate's confused expression, Brennan paused, before smiling, "of you were being hyperbolic?" Kate grinned and nodded. "That's very funny," Brennan laughed, before standing and turning towards Christine. "Christine, come here please," she called, putting her arms out.

Christine smiled up at her mother and picked up some book from the floor before running towards her, holding the book over her head. "Book!" Christine said, as Brennan scooped her up.

"What do you say?" Brennan prompted.

"Book, _please_," Christine replied obediently.

Brennan nodded. "Very good. Yes, Christine, you can get a book."

Christine beamed and Brennan turned to Kate. "I'll be right back," she said. "I just have to go pay for this and then we can go to lunch." Kate nodded, pulling out her phone to call Lanie.

She picked up after two rings. _"Parish."_

"Hey, Lanie," Kate greeted.

"_Hey, girl! How's the book signing going?_"

"It went pretty well. It's over now and I was just wondering if you wanted to grab a bite to eat? I met one of Castle's friends today and we're going to head out for lunch with her daughter."

"_That sounds amazing! I haven't eaten all day. Too busy with tox reports and autopsies to even think about food. But I could go for a Remy's burger. Meet you there in twenty?_"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then." Kate hung up.

"Hey, what about me? I'm starving, _too_!" Castle whined.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Castle," she said, "girls only. Why don't you take Agent Booth over there to the Old Haunt for drinks with the guys. I know Ryan's not doing anything today since he's been whining constantly about how Jenny went to go visit her sister in Florida and he was going to be alone for the entire weekend. It's a pretty safe bet that he and Javi are already at the bar, sharing a drink, anyhow."

"Fine," Castle huffed, before leaning down to kiss her. "But just know that I'll miss you terribly the entire time."

"Gee," Kate said, "_that's _not clingy at all."

Castle chuckled and kissed her again. "I'll see you later," he said, "I love you. Temperance," he called over to his friend who was making her way back towards him, "don't you _dare _tell her about the thing!"

"What th-_oh_! _That_ thing…that's a really good story. I'm sure she'd love to hear _all _about it. Wouldn't you, Kate?"

Kate smiled evilly up at Castle. "Oh, _definitely,"_ she said.

"Hear about what?" Booth asked, coming up to stand with them.

"Nothing," Brennan said, shaking her head. "Booth, Christine and I are going out to lunch with Detective Beckett and her friend. Why don't _you_ go with Richard and get a drink or something. I'm quite certain he has a few friends he would like to introduce you to. Perhaps other cops?" She turned to Castle, who nodded.

"Yeah, I know a couple of guys you might like to meet."

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	2. Chapter 2

**I'm really glad that this story got such good reception and reviews! It's really much appreciated, guys! Enjoy!**

Chapter Two

"So what's this _thing_ Castle is talking about?" Kate asked as their feet hit pavement, Christine between them, holding onto both women's hands.

"Oh, it's nothing, really. Just…the first time Richard and I met in person," she chuckled, "he tried to flirt with me. It was really quite humorous because I used to be quite…I suppose the word _'oblivious'_ would be the right word. He just kept winking at me and I asked him if he had a tick. And then he kept using these god-awful pick-up lines and I suppose I must have taken them literally because after a while he just stopped talking altogether and stuck right to the task at hand; creating a believable 'homicide' in the scenario of making it look like a suicide."

"But I bet he didn't stop there, did he?" Kate asked, grinning knowingly.

Brennan chuckled, shaking her head. "No, he didn't. He tried one more time while he was walking me back to my hotel. He attempted to put his arm around me as we walked and, having heard the stories about Manhattan after dark, my reflexes kicked in and I ended up flipping him over onto his back. I think he finally got the message after that."

Kate laughed out loud. "It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't," she said, as she and Brennan crossed the last street towards Remy's. They lifted Christine by her arms to hop onto the curb. Kate couldn't help but smile when she heard the little girl's giggle. She felt her heart get lighter at the sound and wondered briefly what it would be like to have a little girl of her own with chestnut colored hair and bright blue eyes.

The thought left her as they approached Remy's and she held the door open for Brennan and Christine. Brennan thanked her and lifted Christine onto her hip as they entered the restaurant, Kate looking around for Lanie and spotting her at a booth three tables down. She pointed her out to the host and he let them by with a nod.

Lanie greeted Kate with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Hey, girl!" she said. "Long time, no see! You know you can still come down to the morgue even when you don't have a case!"

"Lanie, it's only been a couple of days," Kate said, rolling her eyes, before turning to Brennan. "Temperance Brennan, this is my best friend and our resident M.E, Lanie Parish. Lanie," she turned back to her friend, "this is Castle's good friend, Dr. Temperance Brennan. And this little cutie," she smiled down at Christine, who was shyly shoving her face into her mother's shoulder, "is her daughter, Christine."

Lanie smiled and put her hand out to shake Brennan's. "It's very nice to meet you, Dr. Brennan. I'm a big fan of your books _and _your work."

Brennan smiled. "It's always nice to meet somebody who is appreciative of both," she responded, shaking Lanie's hand in response.

They all sat down. Kate took a seat next to Lanie and Brennan sat across from them, Christine seated in her lap. "Excuse me," Brennan said, stopping one of the waiters, "could I possibly get a high chair?"

He nodded. "Certainly," he said, rushing off to get her one.

Brennan turned back to Kate, who was making funny faces at Christine, making the toddler, and Lanie, giggle.

"Are you alright, Det-um, Kate?" she asked, her brows furrowing quizzically.

Kate's eyes widened, a blush creeping up her neck as she straightened. "I'm fine," she said. "Sorry."

Brennan smiled. "That's quite alright. I think she liked it. Her father makes funny faces with her all the time. As does her brother."

"Oh, you have another child?" Kate asked.

Brennan shook her head. "No. Actually, Booth does. He lives in London with his mother, though. But we Skype with him as much as possible and he visited with us over the summer to spend some quality time with his father and sister. He's a very sweet boy. Quite brilliant, as well."

"He sounds like it. How old is he?"

"He'll be fourteen in April."

"Oh, wow, so he's getting into those angsty teen years now, huh?" Beckett joked. At Brennan's quizzical look, she sighed and shook her head. "Never mind. He sounds like a really great big brother."

Brennan smiled. "He is. He loves Christine and she adores him."

Beckett smiled. "That must be nice. I'm an only child so the closest I've ever been to any sort of sibling love is my two partners at the Precinct, Espo and Ryan. Oh, and this lab rat over here," Beckett laughed, throwing her arm around Lanie in a side hug. Lanie laughed and hugged her back.

"How long have you two known each other?" Brennan asked, settling Christine into the high chair that had just arrived for her. The little girl squirmed a bit but then calmed down a bit when she was handed her toy; a Rubik's cube.

"Well, we first met in Freshman year of High School, but we never really hung out until I transferred from Stanford to NYU in my Sophomore year of college. Lanie was Pre-med and I was studying Criminal Justice. We met in this Forensics class and reconnected. Been best friends ever since." Kate smiled at Lanie and she smiled back.

Brennan nodded. "That sounds very sweet. I don't have any friends from before I started working at the Jeffersonian, really."

"Oh? Why is that?" Kate asked.

Brennan shrugged. "I…I sort of moved around a lot in my teens. I didn't have a lot of opportunities to make friends and, even if I did, I probably would not have kept them for very long, moving around as much as I did."

"Oh, were your parents anthropologists as well?" Lanie asked.

Brennan shook her head. "No. My parents were bank robbers," she said, nonchalantly, causing both Kate's and Lanie's eyebrows to disappear into their hairlines.

"What?" Kate asked. "Bank robbers? For real?"

Brennan nodded. "Yes. They abandoned my brother and I when we were teens. My brother was nineteen at the time, so it was expected that he would care for me, but he left as well. I was in the Foster system later that week."

"Oh, Temperance," Kate said, reaching out for her hand, "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," Brennan said, "but it's not needed. I turned out fine. I have a beautiful daughter, and I'm living with a lovely man whom I adore, I am very successful, and I have reconnected with my father."

Kate's eyebrows went up. "You _have_?"

"Geez, girl! Don't you _ever_ read the paper?" Lanie asked, lifting one brow at Kate. "They reconnected _years _ago. Her father even went on trial!"

"Wow, you _are_ a fan of my work," Brennan commented, impressed. "Very impressive, Dr. Parish."

Lanie smiled. "Thank you, Dr. Brennan. And, please, call me Lanie."

"Okay, then you may call me Temperance."

"Sounds like a plan," Lanie said, chuckling.

"Hello, ladies," the waiter said as he approached the table and handed out a few menus, "can I start you off with something to drink?"

The woman nodded and Kate went first. "Could I have a chocolate milkshake and a glass of water, please?" The waiter nodded, taking down her order.

"Ooh, that sounds good," Lanie said, "make it a double."

"I'll just have a diet Coke and a child's apple juice for my daughter. Could you also mix it with water?" Brennan ordered.

The waiter nodded, having had these kinds of orders before for children. "Of course. I'll be right back with your drink orders." The women thanked him and began to silently peruse the food orders. Lanie and Beckett, having been there before, knew exactly what they were going to get. Temperance, however, was not familiar with the type of food they had available and was having a difficult time finding the salads menu.

Kate, the ever-observant detective noticed this. "Are you okay, Temperance?" she asked.

Brennan looked up. "Yes, just…do they have any salads here?"

Beckett nodded. "Yeah. They have a Chicken Caesar, BBQ Chicken, and Surfer's Delight, which is basically seafood in a salad."

Brennan nodded. "Well, do they have any _vegetarian_ choices? I don't eat meat."

"Oh, right. Well, you can order a Caesar salad without the chicken or they have a Boca burger. And their Grilled Cheese is to _die_ for. You'd love it. Trust me."

"A Boca burger sounds quite good, and I'm sure Christine would like some grilled cheese. Her great-grandfather makes them for her when he visits and she loves them."

Kate and Lanie smiled at that, both looking over at the little girl who seemed fascinated by the bright colors on her Rubik's cube.

"She's just the cutest little thing," Lanie said, with a dreamy smile on her face.

Brennan nodded. "Yes, she is quite adorable. Do you two have any children of your own?"

Lanie and Kate both shook their heads.

"I would _like_ a couple of kids—I _love _babies—but my boyfriend got freaked out when we had to babysit my nephews last week so I don't know if _that's _gonna happen anytime soon."

"Oh, well, it depends," Kate said, "which nephews?"

"Tyler and Roman," Lanie responded, pointedly. Kate laughed out loud.

"No wonder!" she said. "Those two are little monsters. No offense."

"None taken. They take after their Daddy. Made my life _hell _growing up! No wonder Javi's scared." Kate laughed and nodded in agreement.

"What about you, Kate?" Brennan asked. "Have you and Richard…?"

Kate shook her head. "Nope. He has his daughter, but we haven't really talked about it. Besides, Castle's enough of a child as it is." Lanie and Brennan laughed, nodding in agreement.

"Here you go," their waiter said, placing their drinks in front of them and handing Christine a small, lidded cup with her apple juice. She smiled up at him and took the cup.

"Christine," Brennan said, "what do you say?"

Christine looked back up at the waiter. "Thank you," she said, obediently, and Kate and Lanie's smiles practically split their faces in half.

The waiter smiled down at her. "You're welcome, Sweetheart," he cooed, before turning to the ladies.

"Are you ready to order?" he asked.

Kate and Lanie nodded. "We'll each have a cheeseburger with fries, please," Kate ordered for both of them. The waiter nodded and turned to Brennan.

"I'll have a Boca burger with fries and a grilled cheese for my daughter," she ordered.

"Would you like the grilled cheese cut up?" the waiter asked. Brennan nodded.

"Yes. She likes it cut into triangles, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Two or four?"

"Four. And do you have a small serving of Mac & Cheese?"

"Yes, we have the child's portion. Would you like that on the side?"

Brennan nodded. "Yes, please."

"Alrighty, then. I'll go put the order in and your food should be out shortly." With that, he walked away, leaving the women to continue speaking amongst themselves.

"So, Temperance," Lanie said, "what brings you to New York?"

"Well, Booth and I had some vacation time saved up so I suggested we take a long weekend vacation and I mentioned how I would love to visit the Natural History Museum and even show Christine some of the exhibits. It was sheer luck when I saw that Richard was having a book signing. We'd actually just been coming from JFK when I saw the sign. I asked Booth if we could go to the bookstore after checking in and he agreed."

"So, just here on vacation then?" Lanie asked. "That sounds nice. I would _love_ to get away from some of the stiffs for a while, but with all the bodies piling up these days and the shortage of examiners…it's just not in the cards right now." She shrugged.

"I can recommend some med students to you who are very adept at doing autopsies. They're colleagues of my own interns and are currently looking for internships of their own. I'm quite certain working at the Medical Examiner's office would be very beneficial for you both."

"That sounds great, Temperance," Lanie said, gratefully, "thank you!"

Brennan shrugged. "It's no big deal, but you're welcome."

"So, you and Booth have been married for three years?" Kate asked, suddenly.

Brennan's eyes widened and a blush spread over her cheeks. "Oh, no. Booth and I aren't married. Not yet, anyway."

"Not _yet_?" Kate asked.

Brennan's blush spread over her entire face. "Well, Booth has proposed twice, to two different women, and both of them have said no, so he said that he wasn't going to propose again and so it would be up to me to propose and I haven't done such so far, because I…I once didn't believe in marriage. I thought it was completely ridiculous and antiquated and I swore that I wasn't going to be the one to initiate it, but…"

"_But…_?" Lanie prompted, leaning forward in her seat.

Brennan took a deep breath. "I've had time to think about it, about two years in fact, and I've decided that I actually _would_ like to be married to Booth. For one thing, it would mean that our taxes would be joined so we wouldn't be paying separately, Booth could start going back to confession, because living together is a sin he would not feel sorry for committing, and also because I know how much it means to him."

Kate smiled softly at her. "Those are all great reasons, Temperance, but what about, instead on focusing on why it would be logical to get married or why it would make Booth happy, you ask _yourself_ why it would make _you_ happy, other than the obvious it would make your partner happy thing. What is _your_ reason for getting married?"

Brennan didn't even hesitate. "Because I love Booth. I love him in a way that I used to think was impossible, laughable even. I love him in a way that used to scare me because I felt as if he would start taking advantage of my love and use it against me, but he hasn't and instead of feeling frightened or alarmed by my own feelings for him, I find them comforting and I find the idea of calling him my husband and calling myself his wife to be very…appealing. It's as if my heart gets a bit lighter in my chest when I think about walking down an aisle towards him, with myself in a white dress and he in a tuxedo, and all our good friends surrounding us…I have just recently decided that I want it and so I suggested this trip to New York, with our daughter, in the hopes that…" she trailed off, leaving both women on the edge of their seats.

"In the hopes that…?" Kate prompted.

"Come on, girl. Don't leave us hanging!" Lanie followed.

Brennan smiled shyly, looking down into her lap before peeking up at them. "In the hopes that he'll say yes tonight when I propose to him in Central Park."

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	3. Chapter 3

**Still loving the reviews I'm getting from you guys on this! I'm glad you liked the girl talk so here's a bit of boy talk, as well! Enjoy!**

Chapter Three

As Booth followed Richard Castle to the Old Haunt, the millionaire writer's bar, he wondered how on Earth _his _Bones had come to be so fond of such an exuberant man, especially so many years ago, back before Booth himself had even met the soon-to-be love of his life and mother of his child. They were complete polar opposites!

Since they had begun walking, their conversation had gone from discussing their respective children (Booth about his son, Parker, who was coming to stay with him and Brennan over his winter break from school, and Castle about his college-aged daughter who was planning to study abroad in England in the spring, despite Castle's unease) to one of the writer's many conspiracy theories, making Jack Hodgins seem like a completely grounded human being—and not the crazed conspiracy theorist Booth knew him to be.

Finally, they reached what looked to be, at first glance, a flight of subway steps, with a sign above them that read, "The Old Haunt." It was at this moment, almost exactly, that Castle finished his theory about the city that thrived beneath Manhattan and turned to Booth with a serious look on his face.

"Now, Agent Booth," he said, "you are about to have a drink with two of New York's finest. These two men have seen a lot in their careers—bomb threats, serial killers, the loss of family and comrades, etc. One of them was a sniper with Special Forces and the other spent _years_ in Vice, going toe-to-toe with some of the most ruthless mobsters New York has to offer—so they're tough, _real_ tough. And—"

"Go it," Booth said, halting him with one hand in front of his face, grinning. "Sounds like we'll have a lot in common. Can we go in now?"

"Of course," Castle said, nodding sharply, "after you." He motioned for Booth to precede him and the FBI Agent did, with Castle falling in step next to him. When they go to the bottom, Castle opened the heavy door into the bar, leading Booth right into the large, dimly lit space. Booth's face split into a large grin almost as soon as his eyes adjusted and he was able to make out the old-timey decorations around the room that made it appear as if they'd gone back in time.

As they walked further into the bar, Booth noticed a large, old-fashioned piano being played by an older gentleman in period clothing, who smiled up at them as they approached. He stopped his song immediately and played some sort of unfamiliar chase tune which confused Booth but obviously Castle recognized as he smiled at the man and put a ten dollar bill in his tip jar.

"A pleasure, as always, Eddie," he commented, before leading Booth further into the bar, the sounds of old ragtime music starting behind them, towards a corner booth in the back, where two gentlemen sat, beers in their hands, deep in conversation. Booth could have sworn he heard something about vampires versus zombies and thought for sure that these couldn't be the guys…

But then he caught a flash of metal hanging off the darker-skinned guy's neck and he recognized what it was, immediately. Booth was completely surprised, to say the very least, that these two men fighting over mythical creatures were actual homicide detectives. Though, he conceded, he has had similar conversations with Hodgins and Sweets back home over far more ridiculous things.

Castle greets the men as they approach the table and makes some quick introductions.

"Ryan, Esposito, I'd like you to meet Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI. Agent Booth, these are my partners, Detectives Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan," he introduced. The men greeted Booth with firm handshakes and suspicious looks, then Javi turned to Castle.

"Special Agent? FBI? Dude, you in trouble with the government?" he asked.

Castle chuckled and shook his head. "No, no, I'm okay. Booth here is a very good friend's partner. You guys have heard of Temperance Brennan, right?"

Esposito shook his head at the same time as Ryan nodded. "Oh, yeah. She wrote those books, right? About Kathy Reichs and uh…Andy Lister? _You're _Andy? That's so cool!"

Booth couldn't help but be reminded of Sweets when he looked at Kevin Ryan. They weren't so much alike—Ryan actually looked like an adult—but their mannerisms were pretty similar, Booth could already tell.

"Nice to meet you," Booth greeted, "and yes, she did write about Kathy Reichs, and yes, I am Andy, but she would never admit to that."

"Still awesome, Man," Ryan commented.

Castle smiled, glad that they were getting along. On the way over, he'd worried about the fact that Booth might not get along so well with the boys, if his silence was any indication. He'd felt sort as if Booth had already decided that he didn't like him and had tried to fill an awkward silence with his own crazy theories, hoping that Booth would either agree and theorize with him, or just laugh them off.

But he had just been silent. Now, as the men invited him and Castle to take a seat, he could see that Booth was truly enjoying himself, sharing war stories with Esposito and giving Ryan some advice about the new baby his wife had just given birth to, a boy they named Connor. He and Jenny had been cooped up in the house for the last couple of weeks with the baby and they'd allowed her visiting mother to take care of him for the afternoon so they could each get out and relax. Jenny went to a spa with her sisters while Ryan got a drink with his friends. Booth gave Ryan some tips on what to do when the baby was fussy or when he started teething. He also stressed how important it was for him and Jenny to get out once in a while, to keep the romance alive. They traded pictures of their kids, as well.

Castle, meanwhile, ordered them all a round from the bar, raising a toast to the great city of New York and to the people who put criminals behind bars. They all raised their glasses in toast and Castle smiled as he sipped his beer. Things could not be going any better right now.

-Line Break-

It was nearly an hour later, after dozens of chicken wings and nachos that constituted as lunch, a couple more beers each, some arm wrestling matches, and a long-winded argument on why Zombies were most definitely better opponents than vampires—it takes a lot more to kill a zombie than it does a vampire—when Castle heard a familiar laughter coming from the front of the bar and his heart nearly skipped a beat when he looked towards the door and saw Kate walking towards them with Christine in her arms, Lanie and Temperance on either side of her, all three making funny faces at the little girl, who giggled and shrieked in his girlfriend's arms.

"Kate!" he called out, waving his arm to get her attention, his heart seeming to float when she looked up and met his eyes. She looked so indescribably happy and he knew it had something to do with the child in her arms.

He, Booth, and Esposito all stood when the women approached, each greeting their respective partner. Kate handed Christine off to Booth before kissing Castle hello and Booth tossed his little girl in the air and laid a big smacking kiss on her cheek before pulling her mother in for a sweet hello kiss. Lanie greeted Esposito with a simple peck, her demeanor a bit more subdued than usual.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked her as they sat down.

"The coin came up heads," Lanie said, pouting. Javier gave her a quizzical look but when she didn't embellish, he looked to Kate for an explanation and, thankfully, she had one.

"Temperance asked if one of us minded babysitting Christine tonight so she wouldn't have to go through the trouble of calling the nanny agency for a last-minute sitter and so we flipped a coin."

"Oh, so we're watching a kid tonight?" Javi asked. Lanie shook her head, pouting, making him even more confused.

"We flipped to see who would get to watch Christine tonight and I won," Kate explained, beaming, "and I already told Lanie that she is more than welcome to come over tonight to play with Christine."

"It's not the same," Lanie groused, sinking low in her seat.

"Oh, stop pouting, ya baby," Kate teased. "It's not like you're never going to see her or, you know, have one of your own…" She eyed Esposito, whose face went pale at the mere mention of kids. He hadn't even bought Lanie a ring yet.

He tried to play it cool. "Uh, yeah…you know, it could still happen, Babe. Just gotta give it some time."

"How much time are we talkin' here?" she asked, eying him.

"Paciencia, Baby," Javi said, kissing her cheek while simultaneously glaring at Kate. Kate just grinned and gave him a little wave. She knew what his plans were for Lanie, already (he had practiced his proposal and parent-permission speech on her already) and so she knew that it was just about time.

"So…in other news," Castle said, turning to Kate, "you volunteered us to babysit tonight?"

Kate nodded. "Sure, why not? Christine is pretty well-behaved and Temperance and Seeley deserve a night out while they're in town and there's not much to do with a toddler. Besides, we didn't really have any plans, anyway. I was thinking we could take her down to Bleecker for Magnolia cupcakes, if that's okay with you," she turned to Temperance for permission and Brennan nodded.

"Of course," Brennan agreed, "just so long as you limit her to just _one_ cupcake. She has an appetite like her father so she'll ask for more but I would like to keep her from taking on Booth's bad eating habits."

"Hey!" Booth protested. "I don't have _that _many bad habits!"

"Oh, really? Would you like me to share with the group your last cholesterol test results?"

Booth hung his head. "No…"

Kate chuckled. "Don't worry," she said, "we'll only give her one, and then we'll walk it off, okay?" she smiled down at the toddler, who smiled back, having grown fond of her 'Auntie Kate' already.

Castle wasn't surprised in the least.

**Okay, I'm exhausted so I'll end it there. Please REVIEW! Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Update! I'm loving the response I'm getting on this! Thank you all so much! Enjoy!**

Chapter Four

After lunch, Brennan and Booth took Christine back to their hotel to gather her overnight bag, promising to drop her off at the loft by six. Lanie and Kate were practically mooning over her as they said goodbye. Christine loved the attention and held onto Kate extra tight when she received her hugs goodbye. She did the same with Lanie and then held her arms out to hug the boys.

At first, Esposito was wary of giving her a hug goodbye, having had to deal with Lanie's nightmarish nephews just a few days ago. But Ryan had been more than happy to hug the little girl goodbye, tickling her side to make her shriek and giggle before handing her over to Castle, who lifted her above his head and made airplane noises for her, laughing as she parroted him. Then Castle held her out to Esposito, who visibly paled and cautiously took the toddler, holding her out awkwardly. Christine, however, was undeterred and reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, gaining an 'Awww!' from all three woman and from Castle and Ryan, who batted their eyelashes at him, teasingly. Esposito just rolled his eyes at them but found himself wrapping his arms around the tiny, delicate girl. He smiled slightly as she pulled back and grinned up at him, her big blue eyes sparkling, and Espo couldn't help but imagine her with brown eyes and dark skin and dark brown hair. He couldn't help but imagine what she would look like if she was his own little girl.

He shook off these thoughts, immediately, however, and just handed her back to her parents, deciding that thoughts like that were much too dangerous, especially since he hadn't even bought the ring yet.

"She's a cute kid," he commented nonchalantly, before grabbing Lanie's hand and dragging her out, saying a polite goodbye to everybody.

"I'll see you at six, Honey!" Lanie called out to Kate. "Don't you dare go to Magnolia without me!"

Kate laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it, Lane!" she called back, waving as her friend disappeared with her boyfriend.

Ryan was the next one to leave, having picked up his cell phone and seen the text from Jenny. "Oops, looks like I have to head out, too. Jenny just got back to the apartment and it looks like her mom can't stay and Connor seems to have a bad rash," he grimaced. "It was nice meeting you," he said to Booth and Brennan, then smiled down at Christine, "you too," he said in his sweet baby voice. He turned to Castle and Kate. "I'll see you two at the Precinct on Monday," he said, before hugging Kate, bumping Castle's fist and heading out, leaving the two couples and the toddler alone in the bar.

"Well," Brennan said, "we best be getting to our hotel. Christine has to take her nap before I drop her off or else she'll be very cranky tonight and we don't want that, do we?" she directed the question at Christine who was already started to droop on her shoulder. Brennan smiled lovingly at her, before glancing up at Castle and Beckett. "We'll see you two later," she said, leaning forward to kiss them both on the cheek. Booth followed, shaking both of their hands, before leading his girlfriend out.

Beckett smiled after them. "She seems nice," she said to Castle. "I remember seeing her on a few talk shows a couple of years ago; she seemed like such a different person."

Castle chuckled. "Yeah, Temperance has always been a bit clueless socially, but she's pretty great once you get to know her. She's intelligent, friendly, a little awkward in some situations but she was never intentionally cruel. Also, she was—_is _an amazing storyteller. You've read her books, right?"

Beckett nodded. "Where do you think I got that move from?"

Castle's eyes widened. "I _thought _I recognized that one! Page 187?"

"With a few changes; we don't want you throwing out your back, old man," Beckett teased, clapping him on the back before making her exit. Castle furrowed his brow at her before following after her.

"I'm not that old and you know it! Or do I have to remind you a little more?" He waggled his eyebrows at her and Beckett laughed out loud at him, turning back to look at him as she walked away.

"Not tonight, Tiger. Tonight we have a kid to take care of."

"We're going to have to get used to that soon enough," Castle said, without thinking, a bright red blush blooming up on his face at his own words. Beckett immediately stopped walking and turned to him, a slight blush on her face and one brow raised in question. "Um, what I meant by that, I mean…um, you see, I only meant…um…"

A wide grin spread over Kate's face as she walked back to him, cupping his face with both of her hands and pulling his lips down to hers for a brief, passion-filled kiss. When they pulled away both had large grins on their faces. "I can't wait," Kate whispered, shocking Castle, before turning on her heel and continuing on her way back to the loft. After several steps, she realized that Castle was not following her and she stopped to look over her shoulder again, seeing him still standing there, dazed and smiling. "You comin', Castle?" she asked.

Castle blinked, Beckett's words bringing him back out of his trance. "Yeah, right," he said, jogging to catch up with her, taking her hand in his and squeezing it as they began walking in sync. They sent each other tiny smiles and sidelong glances as they made their way to their shared apartment, their minds swimming with thoughts of children with his eyes and her smile, their hearts swelling with the images.

It was only a matter of time.

**Sorry this one is so short but I assure you the next chapter will be longer and fluffier and completely adorable with a little Stapes thrown in (yes, I am probably one of the few people that actually uses Christine's nickname). REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Update!**

Chapter Five

Getting Christine down for a nap had been harder than either Booth or Brennan had thought. The little girl was eager to read her new book and so Brennan read it with her…twice. Finally, she got Christine to sleep, allowing her to rest on hers and Booth's King-sized bed as she got ready for their night out, her heart fluttering as she got dressed, thinking about what she had planned for the night. She glanced over at Booth, who was standing in the bathroom, shaving, with just a towel wrapped around his waist. Her heart swelled at the sight and her cheeks pinked. Brennan couldn't believe that after nearly a decade, Booth could still make her feel like this.

"Bones," Booth said, startling her from her thoughts. He grinned at her. "You okay?"

She grinned back and nodded, going back to the dress that was currently hanging on the back of their bedroom door. It was deep blue and strapless with an empire waist. There was a silver-colored ribbon that was laced up the back and then tied in a bow in front. Booth had not seen it yet but he'd mentioned more than once how much he loved her in blue and so that is what she'd looked for when she and Angela had gone shopping last weekend. She'd even gone and bought Booth a matching tie for their date. She hoped he liked it.

Brennan smiled at the dress, running her hand down the smooth, velvety material, remembering how it had looked when she tried it on.

"_Oh my God, Sweetie!" Angela exclaimed, clapping. "You look _gorgeous_! Doesn't Mommy look pretty, Christine?" she prompted the little girl, who was currently sitting on the floor of the dressing room, surrounded by lace and taffeta, with Angela's son, Michael, looking very bored. Christine looked up at her mother and smiled sweetly._

"_Mama pretty!" she exclaimed, clapping. Brennan smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. _

"_Thank you, Christine," she said. She glanced up at herself in the mirror, turning to look at the ribbon that made the back look like a corset, smiling triumphant. She looked at Angela. "I think this is the one."_

The dress went down to just above her knees, making it casual enough for a walk around Central Park but elegant enough for the special occasion. She couldn't wait for Booth to see her in it. She zipped back up the garment bag and made her way to the vanity in the corner, taking out her makeup bag and beginning work on her face.

By the time she was done, it was nearly five and Booth was finished shaving and dressed in a pair of black dress pants, a dark blue shirt, and a black suit vest. He was currently debating ties in the mirror. Brennan watched him for a few moments with a smile, before standing and producing a long white box from the top dresser drawer. She walked up behind him, smiling over his shoulder in the mirror. He grinned at her and turned his head to kiss her cheek. "Hey, Beautiful," he said, lovingly.

Brennan blushed, burying her face into his neck and kissing his pulse point. "Hey," she said, quietly, "I got you something." She handed him the box under his arms and his grin widened as he took it.

"Aw, Bones, you shouldn't have!" she exclaimed, opening it and moving the tissue paper out of the way so he could get to the beautiful silver-and-blue striped silk tie. "This is awesome, Bones! Thank you!" He turned around completely, wrapping his arms around her and leaning down to kiss her lips passionately. Brennan responded with fervor, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

A tiny whimper pulled them away from each other. Brennan's gaze was pulled towards the bed, where Christine was beginning to stir. She looked up at Booth with a soft smile. "Can you get her?" she asked. "I have to get changed. When I come back, I'll help you with your tie."

Booth nodded. "Sounds good." He gave her one more kiss and let her go, setting the ties on their dresser and heading over to soothe his little girl.

Brennan smiled at him before taking the garment bag with her dress and headed to the bathroom to change.

When she returned, Booth was throwing Christine up in the air and the little girl was giggling madly, her big blue eyes shining with mirth. Brennan grinned at her, walking towards Booth, who had his back to her, as she clipped her mother's earrings into her lobes. "I'm ready," she announced, causing Booth to turn around with Christine in his arms.

His mouth gaped open the second he saw her and he had to remember to hold onto Christine. Christine smiled up at her mother. "Pretty Mama!" she exclaimed, clapping.

Brennan smiled, leaning down to kiss Christine's cheek. "Thank you, Christine," she said. She looked up at Booth. "What do you think, Booth?" she asked, biting her lip. She knew he would think her beautiful no matter what she wore but she still needed the verbal confirmation; something she'd never needed before with any other man.

Booth's grin widened and he nodded, at a loss for words. Leaning forward, he attached their lips, working hers like he'd been doing it for decades. When he pulled back, both were grinning. Brennan rubbed at his lips with her thumb, removing the lipstick his kisses had smudged there. "I'll take that as a good sign," she joked, before pulling back.

Booth nodded. "You look as beautiful as ever, Bones," he said, seriously, "more-so. You might want to fix your lipstick, though." Brennan scowled at him and hit his chest, but she was grinning. She went back to her vanity, fixing up her lipstick as Booth got Christine's diaper bag ready with a change of clothes just in case she stayed overnight and her favorite stuffed bunny. Then he strapped the girl into her stroller and kissed her cheek before standing.

Brennan stepped towards him with his new tie in her hands. She lifted his collar before wrapping the tie around his neck and beginning to tie the knot. She'd done this hundreds of times before; she did it for him before they were even together. But every single time she does, she can't help but feel dizzy at his scent, feel her cheeks burn from the heat he radiates, and feel the tingles that run up and down her arms and spine whenever her hand brushes his chest. Every single time, it was electrifying and Brennan hoped that feeling would never go away. She tightened the knot she'd made, straightening his tie and pulling him down for a kiss, smiling as they pulled away.

"Perfect," she said softly. Booth grinned and cupped her cheek, marveling at the wavy strands that fell down from the gorgeous up do she was wearing. They fell over her cheek and Booth's finger stroked it away, looking deep into her eyes.

"I love you," he said, softly, his voice raw with emotion. Brennan felt tears well up in her eyes. She thanked…_whom_ever that her mascara was water-proof.

"I love you, too, Booth," she whispered, nuzzling his nose.

Booth was about to say something else when a tiny voice interrupted.

"Mama! Dada! We go now?" Christine asked, impatiently.

Brennan chuckled, smiling at her, giving Booth a look before stepping around him and walking over to her daughter. "Yes, Christine," she said, stroking a hand through her blonde curls, "we're going to go now." She retrieved her coat from the closet and Booth got his suit jacket and his own trench coat, helping Brennan into her coat before putting his own on.

When they were all bundled up, Brennan wrapped a blanket around Christine in her stroller and they started for the door.

Brennan hoped everything would turn out the way she wanted it to.

**REVIEWS please!**

**Who saw that promo for Still last night? OMG!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the delay in updating! It's harder to write crossovers than I thought! Enjoy!**

Chapter Six

At just a quarter to six, Castle was standing at the island in their kitchen as he watched his girlfriend run around the apartment, making sure that there were no sharp corners and that all breakable objects were moved to higher shelves in preparation for the toddler that would be arriving shortly. Castle watched her with amusement as he stirred the homemade chicken soup he'd prepared for dinner in the giant silver pot on the stove, adding some pepper to the broth to give it some kick before placing a top on and making his way into the living room.

"It should be done by the time they get here," he informed Kate, who was moving her favorite vase (the one Castle had bought her after breaking her _last _favorite vase) to the highest bookshelf she could reach. Castle just shook his head and laughed. "You know, if she's anything like I was, she'll find a way to get to it, anyway," he said. "And if she's anything like Temperance, she probably already knows what angle and how much force is needed to knock it down with her rattle."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Better safe than sorry," she said. "And this is really not so much for her as it is for the nine-year-old man-child I already live with," she said, throwing him a look. Castle frowned at her and stuck his tongue out. Kate chuckled. "Exhibit A." Castle pouted, leaning back into the cushions on the couch. Kate rolled her eyes again and surveyed the room, making sure that there was no possible way for a toddler to injure herself or break anything valuable. She smiled, contentedly, seeing no possible way. "All done," she said, turning back to Rick and making her way over to sit down next to him, she leaned her head on his shoulder, just relaxing for the last few minutes they had alone before there would be a toddler running rampant around her house. Though, the latter didn't sound too bad either.

Kate found herself thinking, not for the first time that day, about a little boy with bright blue eyes and a wavy brown mop of hair running around the living room as she and Castle watched on with adoring smiles. She could almost see the boy toddling throughout the room, the inherited need to touch everything in sight apparent, his big blue eyes staring back at her and an adorably dimpled smile lighting up his face as he called out—

"Kate!"

Beckett blinked, shaking her head as she came out of her thoughts, sitting upright and turning confused eyes to Castle, whose own were crinkled in amusement. "Hey, Sleepyhead," he teased, "what were you thinking about?"

Kate shook her head, feeling her cheeks warm and hoping that she wasn't blushing. "Nothing," she lied. Castle's eyebrow rose but he said nothing. "Did you need something?" she asked.

Castle chuckled. "Uh, yeah. My arm," he said, nodding to the part of his body Beckett was currently leaning on. Beckett's eyes widened and she moved over, releasing his left arm. Castle thanked her and took back his arm, grunting dramatically as he pretended to try and lift it, to seemingly no avail. He pouted, reaching for it with his right arm, lifting it in front of his face and then watching it fall back down, his bottom lip protruding as it lay useless in his lap. Kate shook her head and sighed, about to say something when there was a knock at the door.

"That must be them," she said, standing up. "When you're done being a _clown_, please return back to our dinner and let me know if it's ready to eat."

Castle frowned at her retreating back as she approached the door, looking through the peephole. He could see her shoulders deflate slightly as she reached for the doorknob and wondered what was wrong when she opened the door to reveal a very excited-looking Lanie and a pile of stuffed animals with a pair of very-human legs holding them up.

Lanie didn't even give Kate a chance to greet her before she was practically barreling into the loft. "Is she here yet?" she asked. "Cause Auntie Lanie's got some presents for a special little girl!" She looked around, expectantly, deflating when a little girl didn't pop out from any hiding places. Kate laughed.

"No, Lane, they're not here yet. They should be here soon, though," she assured her friend, before glancing back at the pile of stuffed animals and dolls that Lanie had planned to spoil the child with. "Lanie, is there a man under all that stuffed joy?"

Lanie grinned as the legs began making their way towards them. "Very funny, Beckett," Esposito growled as he dropped the entire load on the floor of the foyer, glaring at both women. Kate quirked one brow and smirked at Lanie, giving her a thumbs up. Castle made a whip sound from the safety of his counter island. Esposito walked around the counter and glared at him. "Don't start with me, Writer-boy," he growled, "especially not when you're wearing a hot pink apron that says, 'Queen of the Kitchen.'"

Castle pursed his lips before responding, quite indignantly, "For your _information_, this apron is my mother's." It took him a whole five seconds to realize what he'd just said and Kate and Lanie were nearly doubled over with suppressed laughter when his face fell. "That didn't help me there, did it?" he asked. Esposito just shook his head, grinning. Castle sighed and shrugged his shoulders, going back to his soup.

When she had calmed down, Kate closed the door, before enlisting in Lanie's help to move all the new toys into the living room where she was certain Christine would be spending most of her time playing on the floor. Esposito, meanwhile, joined Castle in the kitchen, instantly raiding his fridge for a beer and finding none.

"Dude," Epso said, "what the hell? No beer?"

Castle shook his head. "No drinking tonight, Espo," he said, "not while there's a kid around."

"Oh, come on," Javier protested, "_surely_ you drank when Baby Castle was…well, a _baby_!"

Castle shook his head. "Nope…and don't call me Shirley."

Esposito rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face as he reached back into the fridge and pulled out a soda.

He sat at the counter talking with Castle as the writer prepared five bowls of soup for them, asking the women to get out silverware and drinks while he and Espo carried out the soup.

About halfway through all this, there was another knock on the door and both Kate and Lanie practically threw everything they were doing down on the table and raced towards the door. Kate got there first after knocking Lanie's shorter body aside. She composed herself for a second before reaching for the knob and opening the door to Booth and Brennan and their little napping angel.

"Hello, Kate," Brennan greeted, cordially.

"Hi, Temperance," Kate replied, smiling brightly, before stepping aside, "come on in." Brennan thanked her and she and Booth stepped into the loft, Booth pushing their daughter's stroller as she carried Christine's baby bag.

"Hello, Richard," she called and Castle came around the corner, smiling brightly as he spotted his friend.

"Temperance!" he exclaimed, coming towards her, pulling her into a warm embrace. "It's been _years_!" he said, exaggeratingly.

Brennan smiled. "It's been hours," she corrected, "but I see you were only using a hyperbole. Very funny and _very _dramatic."

"Always," Beckett huffed, before smiling down at Christine, who was just beginning to open her eyes. She blinked a few times, meeting face-to-face with both Kate and Lanie, who had recovered from her bump from before and was squatting in front of the little girl, giving her a sweet little wave. Christine could see neither her mother, who was just around the corner catching up with her old friend, nor her father, who was still behind her.

So she opened her mouth as wide as it would go and began screaming.

**REVIEWS please!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm glad so many people are still enjoying this! Also, despite what happened during the Bones finale, I am going to just pretend like none of that ever happened for the sake of this story…and my sanity.**

Chapter Seven

Christine's cries echoed throughout the room, knocking Lanie on her ass once again. Kate startled but acted fast, remembering what she'd learned from her babysitting days. She quickly unbuckled the little girl from her stroller and took her in her arms, bouncing her and whispering soothing words in her ears, calming her before Brennan could even get to them. Christine's cried quieted and she shoved her face in Kate's neck, clearly still too disoriented from her impromptu nap to realize that this was not her mother. Kate took a deep breath as the little girl relaxed in her arms, looking over her head at her approaching mother, who was smiling at her in thanks.

"She must have been in a state of confusion," Brennan said, by way of explanation as she approached, stopping next to Kate and placing a soothing hand on Christine's back. "It happens quite often after a short nap like that. She was probably expecting to be alone in her room or, rather, to see her father or myself in front of her." Kate nodded in understanding, continuing to bounce as Christine laid her head on her shoulder. Brennan smiled at her. "You're very good with her," she commented.

Kate smiled sheepishly. "Thanks. I used to babysit in my teens. This always worked when they got upset."

"Well, I predict you'll make a wonderful mother one day."

Kate blushed, her eyes going immediately to Castle, who was smiling softly at her, his head bobbing slightly as if he agreed. He stopped bobbing the second their gazes locked and blushed, looking away. Kate grinned.

"Thank you," she said, "that means a lot."

Brennan smiled at her before leaning down to catch Christine's gaze. The little girl was smiling contentedly, having already figured out that she was being held not by her mother, but by "Auntie Kate." She didn't seem to mind so much.

"I think Christine is going to be just fine if we leave now. You have our numbers in case of an emergency, correct?"

"Got 'em right here," Castle said, tapping a hand on the notepad on the refrigerator. "Don't worry, Temperance; we'll be fine. I _have _raised my own kid, you know, and I think I did a pretty good job."

"Oh, yes," Brennan replied, nodding, "and where is Alexis tonight?"

Castle shrugged. "Heck if I know," he said, nonchalantly.

Kate rolled her eyes. "_Castle!_" She scolded, shaking her head, before turning to Brennan. "Alexis is attending Columbia right now, but she called earlier and said to say hello."

Brennan smiled. "Well tell her I said hello back. I hear she's doing very well now at school. She's a sophomore now, yes?"

Castle nodded proudly. "Yep. Pre-Med. She's going to be a Medical Examiner like Lanie." Lanie nodded.

"Mmhmm, girl's my number one intern; I even got her a mug that says so," Lanie added, proudly. "Before I know it, she's gonna be runnin' _me _out of that morgue!"

"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Castle said, flicking an imaginary tear out of his eye. Lanie nodded with a pout.

Brennan just chuckled and shook her head. "Okay, well tell her hello for me and if she ever wants a career down at the Jeffersonian, I could use a few more female interns. Miss Wick is starting to get under my nerves."

"Skin, Bones," Booth corrected. "She's starting to get under your skin; or _on _your nerves."

"Oh," Brennan said, nodding, "yes. Well, you understand." She leaned down to kiss Christine's forehead. "Be good, okay?" she said, smiling as Christine reached out for her. Brennan took her from Kate's arms, giving her a hug before handing her over to Booth so he could say his goodbyes. Booth gave her a million tiny kisses all over her face and belly, making the little girl giggle.

"Bye bye, Princess," he cooed, kissing her once more on the cheek before handing her over to Kate. Brennan and Booth each gave her a little wave as they left, smiling s Christine waved back at them.

When they were finally out of sight, Castle clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "So who's ready for soup?"

**Sorry this is really short but I have a Creative Writing final to complete. I will update again as soon as school is done with. Promise!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Let's have us a little B&B time! Enjoy!**

Chapter Eight

As soon as they're feet hit the pavement outside Castle and Beckett's apartment building, Booth's eyes nearly popped out of his head. There, in front of them, scraping his hoof against the ground was a large, black horse. There was a magnificent-looking red carriage attached to his back, driven by a man in a black suit and top hat. He tipped his hat to them and Brennan waved, smiling at her partner. Booth's mouth was agape; Brennan pressed a finger under his chin, lifting it.

Booth shook his head and turned to Brennan. "Bones? What is this?"

Brennan smiled brightly. "It's a horse," she said, "and carriage. Do you need corrective lenses?" She snorted at her own joke and Booth grinned, rolling his eyes.

"Very funny, Bones," he chuckled, "but what I meant was; why is there a horse and carriage out here?"

"Because I hired Stan to give us a ride to Central Park," Brennan replied, nonchalantly.

"Is Stan the horse or the driver?" Booth asked, helping Brennan into the carriage.

"The driver, of course," Brennan replied, chuckling. "The horse's name is Cupcake."

"Cupcake?" Booth echoed, disbelievingly.

Stan turned to smile at them. "My six-year-old named her; I couldn't say no." He shrugged. Booth nodded in understanding. "Where to, folks?" Stan asked.

"Central Park West," Brennan answered, smiling and taking Booth's hand as the carriage started moving. Booth smiled and kissed her forehead, allowing her to lay her head against his shoulder. They basked in the cool late Autumn night as the carriage took them on a journey Brennan hoped neither of them would soon forget.

-Line Break—

When they arrived at Central Park, Booth and Brennan were almost too comfortable to get out, but the prospect of what Brennan had planned that night was more than enough to get her climbing down from the carriage and helping Booth down with her. Once they were both standing on the sidewalk, Brennan pulled her partner in for a long, slow, passion-filled kiss.

Booth responded enthusiastically, his lips following hers as she pulled away, grinning. "There will be more of that later," she promised, before turning to Stan and thanking him. "I think we'll get a cab back to our apartment," she informed him. "Thank you for the ride, Stan." Stan waved at them before snapping the reigns, causing Cupcake to whinny and begin making her way down the road.

Brennan then began pulling Booth through the gate to the park, smiling at policemen on her way. "Hello, Officer Garret," she greeted one man in particular. The man was about their age with graying black hair, wearing a NYPD uniform.

"Good evening, Dr. Brennan," the officer greeted. "You look stunning tonight, as always."

Brennan blushed. "Thank you," she said, "you look very dapper in that uniform, as well."

Officer Garret smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, well, the missus seems to think so, too. Everything's all set up for tonight, Doctor; I have a couple of my guys patrolling this area tonight and we lit the path for you just like you asked." Brennan thanked him. "Is this him?" he asked, turning to look at Booth.

Brennan nodded. "Yes, this is Seeley Booth, my partner," she said proudly.

The officer nodded and stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Booth," he greeted, cordially. Booth smiled in return, shaking the offered hand.

"Likewise," he said, before turning to Brennan. "How do you two know each other?"

Brennan smiled at Garret. "He was once a guard at the Jeffersonian, but I wrote him a recommendation and he was able to take the police exam again and get a job here, in New York."

"I'm just patrolling Central Park," Garret supplied, modestly, "but it's still a step up." He turned to Brennan. "I hope you're not still a workaholic."

Brennan shook her head. "No," she said, "I—we have a daughter now, so I must be home earlier to help care for her."

A smile lit up Garret's face. "Well, good on you, then! Congratulations, Dr. Brennan! Have a wonderful night, then!" he winked, before letting them go. Booth and Brennan thanked him and continued on their way, both smiling when they saw the path lit up by emergency flares on both sides. Brennan shook her head and grabbed Booth's hand, leading him towards the area she had set up for them. Booth followed, willingly.

When they got to the clearing, Booth's eyes widened at the strings of outdoor lights flashing like shooting stars around a large gazebo, in which a small, round table was set up for two, an ice bucket with a bottle of cooling champagne standing next to it. Brennan smiled up at him, taking in his pleasantly shocked expression, before tugging him into the gazebo. Booth snapped out of his daze just in time to pull out Brennan's chair for her, as well as give her a kiss on the cheek.

"You are amazing," he whispered in her ear. Brennan smiled and blushed, looking down at the place setting in front of her, turning her fork in her hand as Booth took his seat across from her, smiling like a man in love.

They locked eyes and just gazed at each other for a few moments before a voice interrupted them.

"Champagne?" a man's voice asked, causing both of them to jump. Brennan looked up at the server she'd hired for the evening and smiled, nodding. Perhaps some champagne would calm her nerves. They were each poured a flute of champagne and told that their meals would be there shortly. Brennan thanked the server and he nodded, before placing the champagne back in the ice bucket and leaving them to talk in private.

"This is incredible, Bones," Booth commented as soon as their waiter was gone. Brennan smiled proudly.

"Thank you, Booth," she replied, tipping her glass towards him. They clinked their flutes, smiling, and each took a long sip of champagne, before settling into a comfortable silence.

When their food was served, Booth's face lit up. "Filet mignon! Nice!" he exclaimed, beaming at Brennan, who grinned back. "And…is this _your_ mac and cheese?" he asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

Brennan nodded. "I prepared it yesterday before we left so it's been heated up, but yes, it's mine; I know how much you like it."

Booth nodded, enthusiastically. "I _love _it, Bones!" he exclaimed, digging in. Brennan chuckled, shaking her head as she dug into her own eggplant parmesan and fettuccine; she loved his boyish enthusiasm.

As they ate, they talked cordially about their first day in New York together as a family. Brennan expressed her happiness at running into an old friend and meeting the lovely detective partner of his and Booth told her about the antics of Richard Castle's friends, making Brennan laugh.

Finally, the time came for dessert and Booth barely noticed that Brennan became slightly more subdued as their waiter took their plates; he was too focused on looking around the gazebo. In addition to the lights that wrapped around it, there were also flower pots around them filled with daffodils and, Booth's favorite, violets. The contrast between the purple and yellow flowers made for beautiful combinations that seemed to accurately describe the two partners seated among them. Booth reached across the table and took Brennan's hand in his, smiling at her contentedly. Brennan smiled back, interlacing their fingers.

"I love you, Booth," she said, softly as she spotted the waiter carrying their plates out of the corner of her eye. This was it.

Booth smiled back, his thumb making tiny patterns on the back of her hand. "I love you too, Bones," he replied, "so much."

Brennan beamed, something like relief washing over her. Though she knew how Booth felt about her for years, it was still relieving for him to voice the fact that he loved her as much as she loved him. It gave her the courage to do what she'd been planning for months now.

When the waiter placed their dishes in front of them, Booth and Brennan had to let go of each other's hands to make room for the silver-lidded platters. The server smiled at them, before turning to Brennan and winking.

"For the lady, a wonderful fruit parfait made with fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries with low-fat whipped cream," he lifted the platter, revealing her dessert, which lay adjacent to a small silver spoon on her dish. Brennan thanked him, smiling over her dessert at Booth, who grinned back. The waiter turned to him next and smiled, secretively. "And for the sir," he said, "a slice of apple pie, a la mode…with a little extra something." When he lifted the lid, Booth grinned at the perfect piece of pie topped with vanilla ice cream, before noticing a slight glint coming from the middle of the scoop. He reached for it, realizing that it was a ring, a shiny silver band with a single, solitaire-cut diamond. He looked up.

"Bones, what is—" but she was no longer sitting in his seat. Instead, Brennan had gotten up and kneeled now next to his seat, smiling up at him. Booth's eyes widened as he looked down at her. "Bones, what are you doing?" he asked, because surely she could be doing _that_, could she? She didn't believe in…

"Booth," Brennan started, interrupting his thoughts, "for close to ten years, you have been my partner—first in work, then in life. We've shared so many life-or-death experience with each other, expressed our different beliefs to each other, went to each other for comfort, and have been the center of all our colleagues. We share a beautiful little girl and a love that I am now certain will never fade. Booth, I once told you that I didn't believe in marriage, because it was, and still _is_, an archaic ritual, and a completely ridiculous way to prove one's commitment. But now, as I kneel here before you, I have come to realize that it's more than just a mundane ritual; it's showing everyone who cares and matters most that we love each other and that we will spend the rest of our lives together. It shows everybody that what we have is real and that nobody will ever get between us. It shows everybody in the world that I belong to you and that you belong to me and that's how it will always be, forever. So, Seeley Joseph Booth, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband, because I would love nothing more than becoming your wife."

Booth's eyes filled with tears throughout her entire speech and a lump formed in his throat, making it hard to speak, so he just nodded, smiling down at Brennan, who beamed and grabbed the ring, sliding it over his left ring finger. The second it was settled on his finger, Booth pulled Brennan to her feet, standing with her and pressing his lips to hers in an emotion-fueled kiss, his arms pulling her tightly to his body. Brennan smiled into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling her heart expand with love for this man in her arms as his did the same.

When they pulled back, Booth rested his forehead on hers, staring into the bright blue eyes of his new fiancée, happier than he could ever remember being. Brennan smiled back, feeling the love radiating from his warm brown eyes washing over her.

Everything was perfect.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, it's been a while, I know, but I'm back and so here is your update! Enjoy!**

Chapter Nine

"Get back here!" Castle cried out, chasing the naked little girl around the first floor of the loft. Kate and Lanie watched from the couch, amused, as Espo and Castle chased the little girl around the kitchen island.

The boys had taken over bath time while the women washed the dishes after a coin flip landed them with the duty. Castle had been too happy to participate in bath time, thinking that the little blonde would be as easy and fun as his own daughter was at her age. He'd even dug some of Alexis's old bath toys out of storage for Christine, smiling as she immediately took to the rubber ducky and squirt gun. The first few minutes of the bath had been fun and easy, the two men making the little girl giggle with their funny faces and voices as they played with her, making a tiara out of the bath bubbles for her before rinsing her off. Christine had even cooperated fully when they shampooed her hair and didn't protest Castle scrubbing her from head to toe. She didn't misbehave until Javi began to lift her from the bath. Then she kicked and squealed and giggled as she drenched Javi, who put her down on the ground almost immediately, too far from Castle for him to wrap her in the towel he had ready so Christine was able to make her getaway, getting the door open right away and running out, making her way through Castle's bedroom and out into the living room, where Kate and Lanie had just sat down to share half a glass of wine.

Lanie practically spit hers out when she saw the toddler run out, giggling as she zipped around, while Castle chased her, holding out a towel and Esposito followed, his shirt soaking wet. Kate turned to see what she was looking at and nearly fell off the couch laughing. Now, they were trying to corner the little girl but she seemed to be too smart for her own good, weaving between them and evading capture at every turn. Kate and Lanie just watched, matching grins on their faces as they watched their men chase around the toddler.

Finally, Kate felt they'd probably had enough and she got up from the couch, putting down her empty wine glass and kneeling in front of the little girl, putting her arms out. "Christine," she called, "can Auntie Kate have a hug?" Christine turned towards her, smiling brightly, and ran right into her arms, giggling as Kate stood, holding her tightly, not caring that the little body was making her shirt wet. She grinned triumphantly at a slack-jawed Castle and an annoyed Espo.

"Towel, please?" she asked, holding out her hand. Castle tossed her the towel and she wrapped the little girl in it, tightly, until only her face was popping out and a few loose curls. "There we go!" she cooed. "All nice and snug. Now how about we go and get you all dressed up and we can go get some cupcakes? Does that sound good?"

Christine's eyes brightened and she nodded, enthusiastically. "Cupcakes!" she exclaimed and Kate laughed, carrying her back into the bedroom, Lanie trailing after her as Castle and Espo watched, shoulders drooped.

Castle turned to him as soon as they disappeared from sight. "You wanna borrow a shirt?" he asked.

Twenty minutes later, Kate had Christine dressed warmly in a sweater, jeans, boots, and a warm coat. She and Lanie were just putting on the girl's mittens and hat when Javi came out wearing one of Castle's button-downs, which was two or three sizes too big for him. He had it buttoned all the way up and the sleeves were rolled up, but he was still swimming in the cotton of the shirt. Lanie grinned at him.

"Aww," she said, "you look so cute, Baby." She made her way over to him, kissing his cheek. "Do you like wearing Daddy's shirts?" she teased, getting a glare in return.

"Very funny," Espo growled, frowning. "Dude, I don't know why I couldn't just borrow that Superman shirt in your closet. It looked much closer to my size."

"Well I just didn't think that Kate would like you borrowing her clothes; that shirt is hers," Castle responded, gaining a laugh from the ladies. Espo blushed.

"Okay," Kate said, as she tucked Christine's pigtails into her hat and picked the little girl up, "we're all set to go." Castle nodded and helped her into her coat, before putting his own on and Javi did the same with Lanie. Then they were all off.

Their walk to Magnolia took only fifteen minutes, but in that time, Christine switched from walking and holding onto Kate's and Lanie's hands, to practically riding Castle's leg as he walked, to riding on his shoulders, and somehow ended up under Esposito's arm as they approached the bakery, being carried like a sack of flour by the detective. She giggled as he placed her on her feet at the door, before taking her hand and leading her inside. Lanie watched with a soft smile on her face as he lifted Christine to see the array of baked goods in the display case.

Kate stepped up next to her. "Ovaries acting up?" she asked, grinning. Lanie barked out a laugh, but nodded.

"Yeah," she said, "I think so….aren't yours?"

Kate chanced a glance at Castle, who looked like a little boy himself, poring over the selection in the display case, a boyish look of wonderment lighting up his face. She smiled.

"I think I might already have a kid to look after," she joked, "but maybe…someday…"

**Uh oh, is Kate seeing cribs in her future? Find out and REVIEW!**

**P.S. Sorry this one is so short (That's what she said)….**

**I had to….**


	10. Chapter 10

**This is loooooonnnnggggg overdue but here you go! Enjoy!**

Chapter Ten

By the time they got back to the loft, Christine's face was covered in strawberry frosting and rainbow sprinkles and she was still munching on her cupcake. Castle's face was pretty much the same, only his was covered in chocolate. Kate immediately pulled a washcloth from the kitchen drawer and ran it under warm water, before kneeling down in front of the little girl and wiping her face. Christine smiled up at her, before taking another big bite out of her cupcake, getting even messier than before. Kate just shook her head and grinned. She glanced up at Castle, who was attempting to get frosting off the tip of his nose only using his tongue. Kate rolled her eyes.

"You'd think you were her uncle or something," she sighed, standing up and pulling Christine up to sit on the counter while she finished her cupcake.

"I prefer her much older, much more handsome brother," he said, grinning.

Kate rolled her eyes. "You're older than her mother," she pointed out. "_And _her father," she said before he could argue. Castle just stuck his tongue out at her. Lanie laughed from her spot at the counter, shaking her head.

"You two are better than cable," she said, grinning. Castle nodded in agreement, his teeth sunk into his own red velvet cupcake as he watched his boss and her writer bicker.

Kate laughed, shaking her head before turning back to Christine, whose hands were now empty and messy with crumbs. "All done?" she asked and Christine nodded, proudly. "Very good, Christine!" Kate praised, wiping her mouth. "Are you ready to get on your jammies now?" Christine nodded and Kate picked her up, carrying the little girl towards her bedroom to change her into her nightclothes and put on a nighttime diaper.

When they returned, Castle was finished with his second cupcake and was looking longingly at the box that contained Kate's own treats that she had yet to eat.

"Don't even think about it, Castle," she warned, dumping Christine on Esposito's lap on the couch, much to his girlfriend's pleasure.

"I was just looking," he said, pouting, his eyes never moving from the Magnolia box. Kate rolled her eyes and took out one of the cupcakes—a vanilla one with purple frosting and broke a piece off, handing it to her childish boyfriend. Castle beamed at her and leaned in to kiss her lips before eating his piece of cupcake in one bite. Kate smiled up at him, eating her own part until it was all gone.

"You gonna eat the other one?" Castle asked. Kate shook her head.

"Nah. I'll leave that for Alexis. She likes red velvet too, right?"

"It's her favorite," Castle said, smiling as he picked up the box and stowed it away in the cupboard, before returning to place his arms around his girlfriend, pulling her in for a long, slow kiss. The kiss deepened immediately and they almost got carried away before a gruff voice interrupted.

"Hey! Do you mind?! There are children here!" Esposito growled at them, glaring up over the back of the couch. Lanie laughed, covering Christine's eyes with her hand.

Kate chuckled, leaning against her boyfriend and he wrapped his arms around her. Suddenly, something between them vibrated and Kate jumped back, startled. Realizing what it was, she reached her hand into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, catching the call just in time.

"Hello?" she answered. "Oh! Hello, Temperance. How did everything go?...That's great! I'm so happy for you! Yes, she's doing just fine. We just got her into her pajamas; do you still want us to watch her overnight? Yeah, it'll be fine. Of course. Yeah, we'll meet you for breakfast tomorrow. Okay, see you tomorrow. Congrats, again! Bye." She hung up, smiling brightly.

"Congrats on what?" Castle asked.

"Temperance asked Booth to marry her."

"_WHAT?!" _Castle exclaimed. "Temperance _Brennan _is getting married?!"

"SHHHHH!" Kate scolded, glaring at him. "I'm pretty sure they want to be the ones to reveal this news to their daughter! But, yes…Temperance and Seeley are getting married." Kate beamed and Castle could see the sparkle in her eyes; the romantic side of Kate Beckett. He wondered if she would consider getting married herself yet…he made a note to look into it.

"I just can't believe it," he breathed. "I mean…Temperance used to go on and on about how marriage was such an antiquated and archaic ritual and now…she's getting _hitched_!"

Kate raised one brow. "Well, _that's _surely a nice way to put it, Castle," she deadpanned. Castle shrugged.

"I'm a romantic at heart," he replied. Kate rolled her eyes, hitting him in the shoulder, receiving a goofy grin in return.

"Hey, guys," Lanie said, "I think we're gonna head off now. Pipsqueak's starting to fall asleep on us," she motioned to the little girl curled up in Espo's lap, fighting a losing battle to keep her eyes open. Kate and Lanie awed at that and Castle snapped a photo on his iPhone.

"That gets out," Javi growled, "and they'll never find the body."

"Understood," Castle replied, snapping another one before leaning down to gently lift the sleeping toddler, cradling her in his big arms, allowing Espo to stand. "We'll see you guys tomorrow," Castle whispered, rocking slightly on his feet in a soothing motion.

Espo and Lanie nodded, each giving Kate a hug and a kiss before gently kissing Christine's forehead and whispering goodbye to Castle. Within minutes, they were gone.

"She's so cute," Kate whispered, standing next to Castle and laying her head on his shoulder as she gazed at the tiny girl in his arms. Castle nodded in agreement,

"It's almost hard to imagine what a tiny monster she's capable of being," he added and Kate snorted.

"C'mon, Castle," she said, "let's go to bed." Castle allowed Kate to turn off all the lights before following her into the bedroom, where she pulled back the comforter so he could lay Christine in the center of the bed, She immediately curled into Kate's pillow, grasping it with her tiny fist. Kate smiled at her, kissing her forehead before beginning her nightly ritual as Castle did the same.

Finally, when they were both dressed in their nightclothes, they lay down gently on either side of the little girl, setting up protective pillows around her before covering themselves with the blankets. They gazed down at the sleeping child for a while before looking up at each other with adoring grins on their faces.

"Goodnight, Castle," Kate whispered, her green eyes sparkling.

"Until tomorrow, Kate," he responded, leaning over to kiss her sweetly on the lips. When they pulled back, each of them shut off their bedside lamps and settled in for the night, their hands meeting in the middle of the bed, over Christine's body.

**REVIEWS please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay I'm back! My computer's been having a lot of problems and I just replaced the hard drive so we should be good to go. Enjoy!**

Chapter Eleven

When Brennan awoke the next morning, she was surrounded by Booth's embrace. His arms were wound tightly around her waist and her bare back was pressed against his chest, their legs tangled beneath the covers. A soft smile came over Brennan's voice when she felt the coolness of her fiance's ring against her hip and she glanced up at her own hand, where he'd placed a ring of his own.

It turned out that Booth had been planning on doing the same thing—proposing—but had been waiting for the right time. He thought that she would almost certainly say no due to her beliefs but he kept his grandmother's ring—the one Pops gave to him long ago—handy, ready to get down on one knee at the earliest indication that she would say yes. He didn't even imagine that she would be the one to ask _him._ And so, after her proposal and his acceptance, he had pulled out the small red velvet box and slipped the ring onto her finger.

Brennan admired it now; it's delicate teardrop cut, the way it sparkled in the sunlight. The gold band was somewhat tarnished from age but it was still positively breathtaking.

She felt Booth begin to stir at her back and grinned, turning around in his arms, watching as his eyes blinked open. "Hey," she greeted.

He smiled sleepily down at her. "Hey," he returned. "Did you sleep well?"

Brennan's face split into a large grin. "You could say that," she said, her hand coming up to cup his cheek as she leaned in for a kiss. He accepted her, gratefully, deepening the kiss quickly and rolling her onto her back. Brennan gasped as he moved down her neck, sucking on her pulse point.

"We have to pick up Christine," she gasped out, "it's already ten; we're going to be-_oh_." Booth grinning against her skin and repeated the same move, effectively quieting her down and allowing him to continue.

They didn't make it out of the hotel until well past noon.

X_X

When Beckett woke up, she felt something very heavy on her chest. She opened her eyes, expecting it to be her boyfriend, who often migrated to her side of the bed overnight, but instead found a mop of blonde curls in her face and her partner's side of the bed empty. Kate cautiously sat up, moving the mass gently to rest on her chest and remembered their little houseguest. Christine was like a rock in her arms. Her mouth was open and drool was leaking out the corner of her mouth; she may or may not have reminded Kate of Castle when he slept.

Speaking of which…

Kate looked around, seeing no sign that her boyfriend had even _been _there in quite a while and stood, with Christine cradled in her arms, making her way out of the bedroom.

She found Castle sitting at his desk in the office, typing up a storm. Kate leaned against the doorway, the toddler tucked against her chest, as she watched him work. When Castle put his mind to it, his focus was practically unbreakable. He was almost unrecognizable at those times from the man she knew to be an insane goofball. She watched him for a few more moments, until the urge became almost too much.

She didn't like interrupting him, but…

"Castle," she called out gently, watching him blink and come out of his little bubble. He glanced up at her, his blue eyes clearing and a smile appearing on his face at the sight of her cradling the small child. She smiled back at him and walked over, holding Christine out to him. "Can you take her for a minute? I really have to pee."

Castle chuckled, taking the small child into his large arms. "So eloquent," he teased and Kate stuck her tongue out at him on her way out. Castle just laughed again, settling Christine in the crook of one arm as he began typing one-handed.

When Kate returned, she saw him struggling to capitalize a letter on the opposite side of the keyboard from the one his hand was on. "Having some trouble?" she asked, smirking. Castle glanced up, his eyes wide.

"Noooo…."

Kate snorted, reaching down and picking up Christine, who still didn't even stir. "Are we sure she's not dead?" she asked Castle, surveying the heavy little girl in her arms.

"Nah," Castle said, "she's fine; she burped a couple of seconds ago. Didn't even stir."

"Maybe we should try getting her up now," Kate suggested. "You know, so she can have breakfast and get dressed before her parents get here?" Castle nodded in agreement, saving his document and standing up.

He walked over to Kate, ducking to look at the toddler's sleeping face and reached for her foot, running his finger over the arms. Christine jumped slight and her bright blue eyes peeked open, a smile appearing on her face as she giggled. "Good morning, Sleepyhead!" Castle greeted, poking her belly. Christine giggled again and yawned, rubbing her eye.

"Aww," Castle said, grinning. "Is somebody tired? Well, you gotta wake up, Blondie, or else you don't get any _pancakes_!"

"Pancakes?" Christine asked, her eyes widening. Castle nodded, grinning.

"That's right!" Castle replied, plucking her from Kate's arms. "And your Auntie Kate's gonna make some eggs and bacon to go with it, right?" He glanced at Kate, who nodded, grinning.

"Right," she agreed, leading them both out of the office. "Now let's go get some good eats!"

X_X

It was nearly eleven by the time they were finished eating and everything was put away. Kate wondered why Brennan and Booth hadn't come to collect Christine yet. She'd called them a few times already, with no reply. She hoped that they were alright.

She set Christine down in the playpen, after getting her cleaned and changed, and sat down on the couch next to Castle, laying her head against his shoulder as they watched Christine play with her toys.

Both of them imagined what it would be like if the child in the playpen had dark brown hair, instead of blonde, and darker blue eyes or even greenish brown ones. What if the child in the pen didn't belong to another couple entirely, but to them? What if that child was a mixture of the both of them? Theirs created in a time of love.

Neither one voiced their thoughts, however.

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